How to Succeed As a Pre Med Student Pittsburgh PA

Steps

1. Ask yourself "Why I want to become a doctor"? Making the decision to become a doctor is a very big deal. It is a career that requires many years of preparation. You must decided early on if you are willing to dedicate you precious time to becoming a doctor. Generally speaking, and it will vary from person to person, one who pursues becoming a doctor must have a strong desire to help others, a true and ever-present intellectual curiosity about the medical and scientific worlds, and a love for learning.
2. Successfully complete your Med School Required Courses: Here are the required courses for most medical schools in the US: 1 year of Biology (with Lab), 1 year of Organic Chemistry (with Lab), 1 year of General Chemistry (with Lab), 1 year of English, 1 year of Calculus or college level math, Some schools request a course in Biochemistry.
3. Speak to your premedical advisor at your school. They'll be able to answer any questions that you make have about the entire process.
4. Maintain a good GPA.
5. Get involved in extracurricular activities. Take on roles in health-related realms, volunteer work, and other opportunities to show your initiative to becoming a part of the medical community.
6. Obtain letters of recommendation-Get theses from your professions, faculty members, community leaders, or anyone else that knows of your talent and dedication and can express this in a letter to the admissions committee.
7. Do well on the MCAT (Medical School Admissions Test)-Most medical schools require you to take the MCAT.
8. Apply to Medical School-There are 129 Medical Schools and 19 Osteopathic Schools in the US. About 90% of students apply to medical school at the end of their junior year in college and begin their medical studies after graduation. There is a centralized application called the AMCAS for MD schools and the AACOMAS for DO schools. You will need to provide your grades, personal information, and personal statement.
9. Prepare for your Med School Interview-So you're asked in for an interview. This is a big deal. This is a chance for the admission committee members to get to know your personality.
10. Wait for your acceptance letter!

Tips

• Be more than just smart-Do well in your course but don't forget that you must be able to relate well with others. This is something that cannot be taught.
• Spread out your science courses so that you are not overwhelmed by all of them at once.
• On your interview: Be on time, dress appropriate, be polite, maintain eye contact, don't lie, and be yourself. Most interviewers have been seen hundreds and thousands of students like yourself and can almost immediately tell when you're telling them something that you think they want to hear...so steer clear of doing this.

Warnings

• Getting into medical school takes a lot of commitment and hard work-Only HALF of the students that apply to medical school get accepted.

Sources and Citations

• Official Site Association of American Medical Colleges
• AAMC Resourse for a Career in Medicine
• InsidezOut: Online magazine for Pre-Meds

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